Susan Granger’s review of “Diana the Musical” (Netflix)
Watching Netflix’s film of this new Broadway show was a guilty pleasure. By any theatrical standards, it’s not very good. Certainly not as compelling as “The Crown.” But there’s still something intriguing about a musical interpretation of the Diana/Charles/Camilla scandal.
From the beginning, as she sings “Underestimated,” it’s obvious that Diana (Jeanna de Waal) is a hapless heroine, facing two adversaries. There’s scheming adulteress Camilla Parker-Bowles (Erin Davies), encouraging her lover Charles (Roe Hartrampf) to marry this naïve, virginal 19 year-old to produce Windsor heirs. Plus the omnipresent, trenchcoat-clad paparazzi, relentlessly hounding Diana.
Supporting players include the Queen and Diana’s step-grandmother/romance novelist Barbara Cartland (both played by Judy Kaye), along with Diana’s butler Paul Burrell (Bruce Dow), her older sister Sarah Spencer (Holly Butler), and hunky lover James Hewitt (Garth Keegan), emerging bare-chested like a Chippendale’s dancer.
One of the more memorably bizarre moments is the fight-ring staging as the smirking Princess of Wales confronts her cheeky rival with lyrics heralding “the thrilla’ in Manila with Diana and Camilla.”
With ironic book/lyrics by JoeDiPietro and simpering music/lyrics by Bon Jovi’s keyboardist David Bryan (“Memphis” Tony winners), it’s directed by Christopher Ashley (“Come from Away” Tony winner) with costumes by William Ivey Long – filmed last summer at Manhattan’s Longacre Theater.
“Diana the Musical” opens on Broadway in November, and producer Frank Marshall admits the Covid-19 pandemic spurred the filming, telling The Hollywood Reporter: “We had the sets. We had the cast ready to go – everything was kind of in place at the theater. Plus, there was the success of the filmed version of ‘Hamilton’ for Disney+.”
“This is a way to reach a broader audience with a Broadway show,” Marshall continues. “I don’t think it competes at all with the stage version. I think they help each other, like ‘Chicago.’”
And die-hard Royal-watchers know there’s Pablo Larrain’s upcoming movie “Spencer” with Kristin Steward as Diana during a weekend at Sandringham, the Queen’s country estate.
On the Granger Gauge, “Diana the Musical” is a snarky, splashy, superficial 6, streaming on Netflix.
